MiFi

Back when we reviewed the MiFi 2352 in June, one of the aspects of the "intelligent personal hotspot" we were left most excited about was the prospect of an open API and the potential for web-connected applications to run on the 3G/WiFi device's secondary app processor. Now Novatel Wireless have announced the launch of the MiFi developer program, and with it the release of the MiFi Web server Common Gateway Interface (CGI): everything web-savvy developers should need to start coding for the battery-powered router.

We've been singularly cellularly obsessed here at SlashGear over the past seven days, and it'll come as no surprise that the run-up to the iPhone 3G S has occupied much of our attention. The new Apple smartphone may not look much different to its predecessor, but if our hands-on first impressions are anything to go by, Cupertino have done their best to make the user-experience as polished as the casing. Still, it's not just shiny Apple hardware that's caught our eye this week; Novatel Wireless' GSM MiFi 2352 piqued our interest when we talked to the company themselves on Monday, and then proceeded to impress us considerably in our full review.

Novatel Wireless' MiFi intelligent personal hotspot was one of our top 5 gadgets from ShowStoppers back in April, and had floored us a few months earlier in Barcelona. Having released their CDMA EVDO Rev.A MiFi 2200 on Verizon and Sprint to very positive reaction, the company is now launching its GSM 3G HSPA model, the MiFi 2352. As well as the ability to share a single mobile broadband connection among up to five WiFi users, the MiFi 2352 brings a few new tricks to the table; check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.

We first heard about Huawei's E583X wireless modem back in February, and now the company has been showing it off at CommunicAsia in Singapore. A MiFi rival, the E583X - also known as the i-Mo - packs an HSPA modem and WiFi router into a palm-sized battery powered box.

Novatel Wireless' MiFi 2352 is the third of the company's "Intelligent Mobile Hotspots" that we've unboxed here on SlashGear, but unlike Verizon's and Sprint's the 2352 is a GSM/UMTS device rather than EVDO Rev.A. Launching today on Telefonica Espana [pdf link], the MiFi 2352 features 7.2Mbps HSDPA and 5.76Mbps HSUPA, sharing that connection out for up to five WiFi b/g clients. We caught up with Novatel in London today, to find out what else makes the MiFi 2352 special; you can also see the first video unboxing of the portable 3G router after the cut.

I confess, I've been hearing Vincent and Ewdi wax lyrical about the Verizon and Sprint versions of the MiFi portable personal hotspot, and going green with envy. Happily we're finally hearing details regarding the GSM HSPA version of the device, the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2352, and while there's still no sign of European carrier confirmation it's already showing up at importer Mobilx.

The SlashGear team have been surprisingly mobile this week, with part one of our Lincoln MKS road-test, and toting Sprint's version of the MiFi 2200 portable EVDO hotspot around. We still found enough time to get frantically excited about the Palm Pre, though, which we now know will launch on June 6th for $199.99.

That excitement is tempered with the ongoing rumors that stocks may be severely curtailed on launch day. Not only have Best Buy and RadioShack insiders been talking of minimal handset numbers come June 6th, Sprint's own CEO is warning that the Pre will likely be in short supply for the first couple of months. The concern is that all of Palm's momentum since CES back in January could fizzle out, as Apple are expected to announce a third-generation iPhone two days after the Pre's launch.

Sprint weren't going to let Verizon get all the MiFi 2200 EVDO Rev.A mobile hotspot love, and so sent over their version of the Novatel modem for SlashGear to take a look at. Since both units are, technically, identical, there's no surprise as to what the Sprint MiFi is: a battery powered EVDO modem, capable of sharing out its connection to up to five WiFi devices.

Sprint have announced that they too will be offering the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 "Intelligent Mobile Hotspot", expected to launch on Verizon's network come May 17th. As with the Verizon version, the Sprint MiFi 2200 will share its EVDO Rev.A data connection with up to five WiFi clients; it will also offer access to the hotspot's GPS functionality, something the Verizon version does not.

We just got our hands on the review unit of the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot today from Verizon and Novatel Wireless and we were eager to capture the unboxing for you. This device weighs next to nothing and it's super easy to take with you anywhere. It's meant to help you make a Wi-Fi connection anywhere you want that can be completely secure and reliable. Up to 5 connections can be shared at one time. This includes users or devices like cameras, gaming consoles or netbooks.